Life Expectancy Lung Cancer Patients Have

Depending on how early one acquires a diagnosis, life expectancy lung cancer patients have will differ. Another factor will also be the stage of the cancer once it has been diagnosed. However, thanks to new advances in technology and science, life expectancy lung cancer patients have has been significantly increased during the past ten years.

Lung cancer kills. Through the years, millions have died of this dreaded disease. People who love to smoke and fail to quit once they’ve noticed changes in their health are prone to acquire lung cancer. Smoking is the number 1 cause for lung cancer, accounting for up to 85% of deaths, and many times the lung has already been too damaged to save.

The form of treatment that patients get also is a determining factor for life expectancy lung cancer. Here are some facts from recent research and studies on the subject:

• Generally, life expectancy lung cancer patients are quite low. However, the earlier the detection, the better the chances of survival. Most times, the disease is fatal, and those who survive will have to deal with several methods of pain management and a controlled environment in order to avoid absorbing other chemicals in their surroundings. Those who are dealing with a short life expectancy lung cancer will need to also be watched and monitored regularly.

• Radiation can raise the life expectancy lung cancer from 20 months up to 42 months if thermal ablation followed after therapy. The combination of thermal ablation therapy with radiation made the survival rate much higher than choosing just either treatment alone.

• For stage IIB of lung cancer, surgery is a common method of treatment. During this stage, the tumors block the bronchioles and cause lung inflammation. There is better chance of survival for patients who are able to detect their cancers in stage II or earlier to have it removed by surgery.

• Stage 3 lung cancer already affects the nearby organs such as the heart, diaphragm, backbone, and chest wall, making it more difficult to treat. At this stage, treatment options are usually chemotherapy and other non-surgical treatments that are regularly done to target and reduce the cancers as much as possible. Remission may occur, but the patient can still enjoy a few more months of life expectancy lung cancer.

• During stage IV of cancer, it has already multiplied to various areas around the body and will be more difficult to treat. During this stage, life expectancy lung cancer is very low, and it cannot be cured. Treatment options are simply provided to help patients manage pain, such as chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery, but the patient may only have a few months to live.

Anyone diagnosed with a short life expectancy lung cancer is truly a sad thing, and it’s best to avoid the highest risk factors for acquiring the disease. The best way to avoid life expectancy lung cancer is to quit smoking, avoid second hand smoke, and exposure to pollution and harmful chemicals that may also cause lung disease.